Sir — This refers to the article, “Bharat gets its new mascot” (February 28) by Arindam Chaudhuri. The article aptly comments that ‘Narendra Modi versus the rest’ is essentially a fight between India and Bharat. Mr Modi personifies Bharat while the English-language media symbolises India. It is our misfortune that Mahatma Gandhi could not resist the ascent of Jawaharlal Nehru as Prime Minister, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel could not last beyond 1950.
The Cambridge-educated Nehru dominated the first 17 crucial years after independence when the tremendous energy of the Bharatiya masses was available to take the country ahead. He set up the pro-Soviet model of growth, and Indira Gandhi followed the same pattern. Mr Modi will succeed in bringing the Bharat growth model.